Wire stretcher and splicer



( Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. H. DOWELL WIRE STRETGHER AND SPLIOER.

No; 490,070. Patented Jan. 17, 1893.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L.-H. DOWELL. WIRE STRETOHER AND SPLIGER.

No; 490,070. Patented Jan. 17, 1893.

Uwrrnn Srarns ATENT @rrrcn.

LAWSON HENREY DOIVELL, OF W'ALTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DANIEL R.MURCHISON, OF ATHENS, TEXAS.

WIRE STRETCHER AND SPLICER.

SPECIFICATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 490,070, dated January17, 1893.

Application filed October 1, 1890. Renewed December 14, 1892. Serial No.455,174. (No model.)

To all wfwm it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Lawson HENREY Dow- ELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at \Valton, in the county of Van Zandt and State ofTexaahavc invented a new and useful \Vire Stretcher and Splicer, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in wire stretehers and splicers,and has for its to object the stretching of the wire when afence isbeing constructed, the tightening of the wire after the fence isconstructed, and the splicing of broken wire, and it consists in certainfeatures of novelty to be hereinafter de I5 scribed and thenparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows the device in perspective,as used in stretching wires. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view, showing thebottom of the casing removed. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on theline 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The casing of the device consists of a top plate 1, bottom plate 2, andsides 3, at formed 2 5 by a single bent up plate, the middle of whichforms one end 5, and the inturned ends the other end 6. The plates areconnected by corner bolts 7.

8 is a staple at the end 5 on which are pivoted the pair of inwardlypresented hooks or grapplers 9 which engage the post 10.

Sliding on the top plate 1, and guided by a lug 12, projectingtherefrom, which extends through a slot 13, is a plate 11 which isprovided with an anvil plate 14.

15 is a cam-lever pivoted eccentrically at 16 to the plate 1]. andhaving at its inner end a toothed cam 18, the cam being directlyopposite the anvil plate so that when the lever is turned toward theright the teeth of the cam will engage a wire passing over the anvilplate.

Pivoted on each side of the lug 12 of sliding plate 11 are ratchet-bars18, 18 that extend rearwardly through openings in the end 5 5. Eachratchet bar of the pair is alternately engaged by devices now to bedescribed.

20 is a bolt or pin extending through the top and bottom plates of thecasing, and between the ratchet-bars,on which is tulcrumed between itsends and above said bars the throw-lever 21 that extends through slot 22in side 3. On one side of the pivot bolt, the throw-lever carries apivoted link 23, and on the other side of the pivot another pivoted link23*. To these links 23, 23, are pivoted the pawls 24, 24:, respectively,the ends of which engage the teeth of the ratchet-bars, being thrustinto engagement therewith by springs 25.

26 is an eccentric shaft extending trans- 6o versely through the casingand having at one end the releasing lever 27. I call this areleasing-lever because when turned down it causes the eccentric of itsshaft to act on and disengage the pawls from the rack-bars.

28 is another anvil-plate.

29 is the lever of another toothed cam 32 pivoted eccentrically on athumb screw 30.

The anvil plate 14, and cam-lever 15, I denominate the straining ortightening clamp, and the anvil-plate 28, and cam 31, the holding clamp.

The operation of the device so far as described is as follows. A wire 83being passed between the anvil-plate 14: and cam 18 of the strainingclamp, the lever 15 is thrown to the left which brings the teeth of thecam in engagement with the wire. The throw lever 21 being grasped andreciprocated by one hand the pawls 24:, 24, will alternately engage theteeth of ratchet-bars 18, 18 respectively, each movement of the leverdrawing the sliding plate 11 toward the post and straining or tighteningthe wire. hen the slide reaches the limit of its movement in itsstraining direction, the lever 29 of the holding clamp is turned to theright to bring the teeth of its cam into engagement with the Wire, andthus nip or clamp it against the anvil plate 28. The cam lever 15 beingnew thrown to the left, the slide may be slid to its operative position,and the wire be further strained if desired.

I will now describe the splicer or twister.

34 is an arm projecting from the anvil-plate 28, which has at its innerend a vertical cy- 5 lindrical housing 35.

36 is a revoluble sliding stein having at its lower end a hook 38. Theupper end of the stem is bifurcated, and extending across thebifurcations or forks is a pin 39.

40 is a swinging lever which is pivoted eccentrically on the pin 39 insuch manner as that when swung to the left, the hook will be permittedto extend below the housing, but when swung to the right the hook willbe drawn up into the housing.

This part of my invention is operated as follows: The cam-lever 29having been reversed by withdrawing and replacing the thumb-screw onwhich it is pivoted, the different parts of the broken wire are engagedin the straining and the holding clamps. The extreme ends of the brokenwire being overlapped so that the ends extend beyond the housing, theyare engaged bythe hook 38, the hook of course being lowered. The lever40 being now swung over to the right the hook is elevated, whichmovement draws the ends of the wires up into the housing. The lever 40being now revolved so as to revolve the hooked stem the ends of thewires will be twisted. The hook being now lowered, the wire will befound to be connected so as t stand ordinary strain.

When itis desired to tighten a wire already strung it is engaged by thehook and its body twisted in the same way as when two pieces areconnected.

What I claim is:-

1. The combination in a wire stretcher, of a slide, a straining clampcarried thereby, a pair of ratchet bars connected with the slide, athrow lever carrying links pivoted thereto on each side of its fulcrum,pawls pivoted to the links for engaging the ratchet-bars, and springspressing the pawls into engagement with said bars, substantially as setforth.

2. The combination in a wire-stretcher, of a casing having alongitudinal slot in its top, a slide on the top having a lugprojectinginto the slot, a straining clamp carried by the slide, a pairof ratchet-bars pivoted to said lug, and means for engaging theratchet-bars, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination in a wire-stretcher, of a casing having alongitudinal slot in its top, a slide on the top having a lug projectingiuto the slot, a straining clamp carried by the slide, a pair ofratchet-bars pivoted to said lug, a throw-lever, and pawls carriedthereby for engaging the ratchet-bars alternately, substantially as setforth.

4. The combination in a wire-stretcher, of a casing, a slide movingthereon, a straining clamp carried thereby, a ratchet bar c0nnected withthe slide, a throw-lever having a pawl engaging the rack-bar, and aneccentric shaft having an operating lever, said shaft being adapted todisengage the pawl from the ratchet-bar, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination in a wire-stretcher, of a frame or casing, astationary retaining clamp at one end thereof, a movable straining clampnear the other end thereof for stretching the wires, and a twisterbetween the ends of the frame or casing, substantially as set forth.

. 6. The herein described twister, consisting of a housing, a revolublestem in the housing, having a hook at one end, and a pin at the otherend, and a lever pivoted eccentrically on said pin, substantially as setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

LAWSON HENREY DOWELL.

\Vitnesses:

J. B. Mnssna, JOHN W. PARKER.

